]]>http://sherbettaxirentals.com/sherbet-london-news-autumn-2016/feed/0Sherbet London acquires new London taxis for its First Class fleethttp://sherbettaxirentals.com/sherbet-acquires-new-london-taxis-first-class-fleet/
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Sherbet London, the fastest growing licensed taxi fleet in London, has announced it has just completed a purchase of 50 brand new TX4 taxis from The London Taxi Company, forming part of its new ‘First Class’ fleet initiative.

The vehicles are all TX4 Elegance models, the highest specification of taxis currently available in the UK and Sherbet will be adding its own flavour of extra convenience and luxury to the vehicles.

Asher Moses, CEO of Sherbet commented: “We’re thrilled to be adding another 50 premium TX4 taxis to our fleet, and in addition to their already high specification, which includes air conditioning and a cleaner Euro 6 engine, we will be adding optional WiFi, in cab digital media, cashless payments, app bookings and our unique Union Jack front grille.”

“Our fleet is growing rapidly, but we never want to lose sight of the fact London taxis are, above all else, high quality – so this purchase of 50 brand new, top of the range taxis makes sure there is no mistake about the premium nature of the Sherbet First Class London taxi offering.”

Sherbet has seen rapid expansion since it started two years ago, having already acquired three of the largest taxi fleet operations in London, and in June Sherbet opened its new Knowledge College facility, teaching the next generation of London cabbies in a modern and spacious school based at the Richmond Road Cab Centre in Hackney.

This latest purchase of 50 new taxis from The London Taxi Company also places Sherbet into one of the upper tiers of new cab purchasers in the UK.

Martin Crouch, General Manager for The London Taxi Company added: “We are, of course, delighted to see such an investment in our flagship product. Sherbet wanted premium iconic taxis and that can only mean TX4 Elegance vehicles. Moreover, we are pleased to see firms such as Sherbet continuing to grow and invest in the quality London taxi market, it demonstrates that it is still a market that attracts lots of innovation and investment.”

Sherbet also plans to also offer premium First Class taxis to newly licensed drivers passing through the Sherbet Knowledge College. Asher added: “Usually top of the range, premium fleet services are reserved for the most experienced drivers but we also believe that good service must be embedded right from the beginning, and so we will be using our Knowledge College facility to nurture the next generation of professional Sherbet drivers and we will be placing hand-picked, recently licensed drivers directly into one of these new First Class fleet TX4 vehicles.”

It doesn’t stop there for Sherbet, with their fleet size growing they are soon to launch their own booking app, allowing customers to directly hail the Sherbet taxis from their smartphone for the very first time. Asher added: “Everything Sherbet does is improving the quality of London taxis and making them more desirable and more convenient. Launching our own hailing app is the logical next step, so people can specifically hail a Sherbet taxi in a dynamic and convenient way.”

Sherbet also recently unveiled its unique credit card payment solution for its taxi fleet, enabling Sherbet drivers to accept cashless payments as part of the TfL mandate, but at a lower cost than many alternative solutions. The Sherbet card payment system, standard in all its rental taxis, has one of the lowest transaction charges of all solutions and has no minimum contract term.

Asher Moses concluded: “The Sherbet business is growing fast and our investment in iconic taxis and innovative technology demonstrates there is still demand for a high quality taxi rental service and that customers still crave the unquestionable quality, safety and convenience of a licensed London taxi driven by a safe and knowledgeable driver.”

]]>http://sherbettaxirentals.com/sherbet-london-newsletter-summer-2016/feed/0Sherbet London launches new generation ‘Knowledge College’ for training London cabbieshttp://sherbettaxirentals.com/sherbet-london-launches-new-generation-knowledge-college-for-training-london-cabbies/
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A new training facility designed to produce the next generation of London taxi drivers has launched, with the Sherbet London Knowledge College in the UK’s capital city.

Sherbet London is one of London’s largest taxi operators, with 500 iconic black London taxis serving business and casual taxi users all across the capital. Sherbet London is bucking the trend while so much of the London taxi industry is reeling from the onslaught of new services such as Uber. The Sherbet London fleet has grown by over 400% in just 18 months and shows no sign of slowing.

Now Sherbet London is seizing the opportunity to train the next generation of cabbies with a cutting edge new training centre.

London taxi drivers are recognised the world over as being the most reliable – and this is in no small part due to their requirement to learn ‘The Knowledge’ a notoriously gruelling 3-4 year training regime that sees them having to learn all major routes around London plus every point of interest; including schools, hospitals, stations etc.

Traditionally this meant students wishing to become London cabbies had to spend many months riding around on scooters with map books strapped to their handlebars learning the myriad of routes – but now Sherbet London Knowledge College is doing things a little differently.

Firstly the new learning facility, based in the historic heartland of the taxi industry at the Richmond Road Cab Centre in Hackney, is the largest school of its kind. Secondly, large screens in the training centre broadcast live routes from the smartphones of working taxi drivers and trainees alike – using the Periscope app. Now knowledge students can learn routes in real time from the point of view of a real travelling taxi. A full taxi simulator based in the school itself, adds another new dimension to learning.

Sherbet London has also partnered with a new start-up that is revolutionising how the Knowledge of London is learned. KnowledgePics is an online resource that includes a rich library of all London points of interest in photographic form, meaning map books are a thing of the past. Student cabbies can now simply download routes to their smartphones or tablets and see a real street view image of each and every point blended with the digital map.

Asher Moses, CEO of Sherbet London, commented: “London has been crying out for a new Knowledge training facility for some time and we are proud to be delivering it. The Knowledge is tough, but it doesn’t have to be boring and riding around with a map book is no longer the best way to learn. We are using social media, online resources and crowd-learning by tapping into the expertise of London’s 20,000 knowledgeable cab drivers.”

Joining the Sherbet London Knowledge College is renowned Knowledge tutor Tony Norris, who has been training London cabbies for over 25 years. Tony added: “London never keeps still, it is constantly changing and growing, and the Knowledge has gone from taking less than a year, to over 3 years in the time I have been teaching it – so now harnessing new technology and techniques is essential.

“Sherbet London has tapped into the changing face of the taxi market and they recognise the next generation of cabbies are more tech-savvy and from more diverse backgrounds. We are seeing more women wanting to have the flexibility of working as a taxi driver and the Sherbet London Knowledge College is embracing anyone who has the commitment to become one of London’s finest.”

Launching the Sherbet London Knowledge College, Asher added: “We are thrilled to open this exciting new school and we have been inundated with students applying to join us. We have a great facility in a historic London taxi location and we are mixing that with the very latest that modern technology has to offer.

“The London taxi trade is world famous and our cabbies are known for their unrivalled knowledge and reliability. We are investing in that unique position as we all know Londoners and visitors to our great capital want knowledgeable drivers to get them where they are going safely and efficiently.”

The Sherbet London Knowledge School is based at the Richmond Road Cab Centre, 195 Richmond Road, London, E8 3NJ.

]]>http://sherbettaxirentals.com/sherbet-london-launches-new-generation-knowledge-college-for-training-london-cabbies/feed/0Sherbet London expands with two more acquisitionshttp://sherbettaxirentals.com/sherbet-london-expands-with-two-more-acquisitions/
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Sherbet London, the capital’s fastest growing fleet of licensed taxis, has announced further expansion with the acquisition of two of London’s best known black cab operations; Camberfield Taxis and Premier Cabs.

The acquisitions come hot on the heels of Sherbet London’s acquisition of Drinkwater Taxis during 2015, and takes the total Sherbet London fleet to over 500 fully licensed black London taxis.

The move also provides a solid West London base for the growing Sherbet London business, which, as well as providing rental cabs to professional taxi drivers, also offers in-vehicle Wi-Fi, card payment solutions, hailing apps and taxi advertising via Sherbet Media – one of the leading outdoor advertising firms in London.

Asher Moses, CEO of Sherbet London commented: “We’re thrilled to announce these two acquisitions, which confirm Sherbet London as one of the biggest and most professionally run black taxi operations in the capital. The Sherbet London business model is highly modern and innovative – but not at the expense of the great heritage and legacy of the London taxi trade.”

“Both Camberfield Taxis and Premier Cabs have great reputations and now the drivers on those fleets have got a wider choice of taxis and services available to them. The Sherbet London brand is growing and so is the Sherbet Media business, with more firms seeking to promote their businesses on the most professional fleet of iconic black taxis in London.”

Sherbet London already has a base at the renowned Richmond Road Cab Centre in Hackney, a location with a long and rich history in the licensed taxi trade, dating back over 100 years. Sherbet London has used the opportunity of the recent acquisitions to give itself a presence across the capital. In West London, the Premier Cabs and Camberfield Taxis operations will be combined at the Camberfield site in The Ham, Brentford, whilst The Richmond Road Cab Centre will continue at the East London branch. Partnerships with G&L Taxis in N18 and The North Brixton Motor Company in SE5 complete the pan-London coverage.

Asher added: “These acquisitions have been the catalyst that have allowed us to expand Sherbet London across the capital, and now taxi drivers can easily find a Sherbet London taxi to rent in any area. We pride ourselves on providing a fresh, modern way for drivers to rent a cab and keep working – with new and innovative services helping Sherbet London cabbies remain competitive in what is a very tough environment.”

Chris Hearnden, owner of Camberfield Taxis has been in the taxi industry for over 50 years. Regarding the future of his fleet in Brentford, Chris said: “We are delighted to have found a partner in Sherbet London to take Camberfield Taxis to the next phase of development. Asher and his team share the same vision for the future as we do. We take pride in all we have achieved and look forward to seeing the fleet flourish and our drivers seamlessly incorporated into the Sherbet London family.”

Following Sherbet London’s partnership with both fleets, Premier Cabs will be moving its operations to the Camberfield Taxis site in the coming weeks. Gurinder Dhillon, owner of Premier Cabs is looking forward to the move: “With the impending re-development of Premier Cabs’ operations premises, and everything that is happening in the taxi trade right now, there couldn’t be a better time to collaborate with Asher and his team. We are all thrilled to be working with Sherbet London – a company that is innovative, experienced, and extremely professional.”

The London taxi market is seeing an increase in the number of drivers who rent a taxi – a change driven by rising new vehicle costs and regulatory uncertainties surrounding vehicle emissions, and uncontrolled growth in private hire (minicabs). Many taxi drivers have historically owned their taxis, but, as they continue to work into their sixties, find that the financing of a new taxi is often undesirable or impractical. Sherbet London’s model is to provide new and modern taxis that meet all emissions standards and allow the taxi drivers to continue working in a good quality, well cared-for taxi without the burden of purchasing a vehicle that costs circa £40,000.

With the onset of new technology and a huge increase in the number of minicabs on London’s streets, the need for licensed taxi drivers to reduce their costs and remain competitive has become increasingly important.

Lee Drinkwater, Fleet Manager for Sherbet commented: “It is perhaps as tough as it has ever been making a living as a London cabbie right now – rampant competition, high vehicle prices and some of the worst roadworks ever to hit us makes it tough – but Sherbet London has tapped into precisely what today’s working cabbies need: quality cabs that they can rent quickly and easily, with all the additional services, including taxi advertising, that can help a driver make ends meet.”

Even with two large fleet acquisitions in one go, it seems Sherbet London is not remotely finished with its expansion plans. Asher concluded: “We still have some further fleet acquisitions to make this year and within the next few weeks our Knowledge School, The Sherbet London Knowledge College, will open its doors with a very fresh and innovative approach to the world famous London Knowledge.”

“Sherbet has the taxi trade experience, passion and investment to continue expanding and modernising the licensed taxi industry, and we have no plans of slowing down. Taxi drivers love what we are doing, and the travelling public seem to be taking Sherbet London to their hearts – it gives them a brand of smart and professional taxis to recognise and evangelise about.”

Taxi drivers wishing to know more about Sherbet London rentals can contact 0207 254 3849, visit sherbettaxirentals.com or email info@sherbetlondon.com. Sherbet London is also on Twitter: @SherbetLondon

Although the typical gender stereotype of a London taxi driver is a male, at Sherbet London, we are lucky to have a mix of both male and female drivers – and are always on the lookout to get more women on the team.

In the spirit of International Women’s Day, which was celebrated by women across the globe this week, we spoke to one of our loyal lady drivers, Lucy, about why she loves being a London taxi driver.

“I first became a taxi driver because I was a single parent at the time, and enjoyed the flexibility the job could offer as it allowed me to work around my son. Family members and friends were also cab drivers, so I had a good idea of the job. This is really why I have continued with the job. Each day is different, and the conversations that I have in my cab from day to day are just so varied – I pick up a real mix of people. Working for Sherbet, I mainly deal with Elaine and Lee, and find the staff very friendly and welcoming. On top of this, work on my taxi is always carried out well in the garage.”

If you would like to become part of the Sherbet London team, get in touch with us, by calling: 020 7254 3849, or emailing info@sherbetlondon.com

]]>http://sherbettaxirentals.com/sherbet-london-taxis-inspiring-women/feed/0The Black Taxi Trade is alive and kicking and Sherbet London is Leading the Wayhttp://sherbettaxirentals.com/black-taxi-trade-alive-kicking-sherbet-london-leading-way/
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This week aprotest was held by London Taxi drivers against Transport for London’s proposal to ‘strengthen the regulation of private hire services in London’. Many Black Taxi drivers feel that the regulations TfL proposed for Private Hire Vehicles are unfair, and that companies such as Uber are acting as taxis, but are not prepared to pay the costs. As an integral part of the London Transport Network, and the most flexible form of transport in the capital, we need to support London’s Black Taxis.

The Black Taxi is an iconic part of London’s image, and Sherbet London is investing in this image, and looking forward to the future of the trade. Black Taxis are set apart from Private Hire Vehicles because they are safe, regulated, reliable, and perhaps most important of all, knowledgeable. All Black Taxi drivers are trained in The Knowledge of London, meaning you can be assured that your driver knows exactly where they are going, and that you will arrive at your destination in the fastest possible time, without the need of a GPS device.

London Taxi drivers have often been accused of being stuck in their ways. However, the Taxi trade is undeniably evolving by introducing and embracing new technology. Although card payment is set to become compulsory from October this year, a large amount of Black Taxis in London already accept card payment, as well as other methods, such as contactless, Paypal and Apple Pay.

The Black Taxi can get you to your meeting faster (with use of London’s bus lane network), in comfort, and with WiFi rolling out across our fleet this year.

The Black Taxi trade is a very much needed feature of the fabric of London life and Sherbet London is striving to ensure it thrives with advancements in technology, efficiency and cleaner, greener taxis for the future. We totally believe in everything the Black Taxi stands for in London, and are always on the look-out for new drivers.

At a breakfast meeting this morning a friend said to me that ‘the taxi business is dying’ – it isn’t, and with an estimated £2bn revenue in 2015, it’s still in very good health. The trade simply needs to embrace change and move swiftly with competitive challenge, to ensure its health in the long run.

If you believe in the Black Taxi trade as much as we do, and want to become part of Sherbet London, get in touch.

The clampdown on unsafe limos, Operation Kansas, saw Officers from the RTPC’s Commercial Vehicle Unit, and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) carried out on-the-spot checks in central London on 18th April to crack down on those vehicles putting the public in serious danger by not adhering to strict safety standards.

The results from the weekend clampdown:• 8 vehicles issued with a prohibition notice for having mechanical defects• 2 vehicles issued with a prohibition notice for exceeding driver hours• 5 drivers issued with graduated FPNs for exceeding driver hours

Officers also engaged with members of the public to talk to them about public safety and vehicle safety issues.

]]>http://sherbettaxirentals.com/crackdown-on-unsafe-transport/feed/0Sherbet Rentalshttp://sherbettaxirentals.com/sherbet-rentals/
http://sherbettaxirentals.com/sherbet-rentals/#respondTue, 02 Feb 2016 12:08:18 +0000http://sherbettaxirentals.com/?p=2100Sherbet Taxi Rentals are leading the way to ensure the licensed London taxi trade can meet the expectations of today’s consumers, your passengers. We are taking delivery of 15 brand new plates and are looking for drivers who want to deliver a world class customer service to the London customer. Are you a licensed London…

]]>Sherbet Taxi Rentals are leading the way to ensure the licensed London taxi trade can meet the expectations of today’s consumers, your passengers. We are taking delivery of 15 brand new plates and are looking for drivers who want to deliver a world class customer service to the London customer. Are you a licensed London taxi driver, dedicated to providing only the highest customer care? Are you interested in receiving the latest training, tools and technology, putting you at the forefront of the taxi trade?

Could you lead the way as part of an elite team who pride themselves on being the most professional and personable in London? If so, then contact us now to inquire into renting one of our brand new, high spec cabs. All of the Sherbet taxis come with air conditioning for both driver and passenger; with latest safety, security and convenience features. Our cabs also come with a distinctive hand-printed Union Jack grill, helping them to stand out from the crowd.

We provide all of our drivers with an exceptional level of customer service, responding quickly to queries and issues. We also manage our drivers’ car insurance and reward efficient payment of rent with weeks of free rent. Our new airport transfer app Sherbet on Demand ensures that our drivers get regular and lucrative fares, often transporting VIPs and business class executives. We train our drivers to provide a service that goes one step beyond the average cabbie offering – meaning that high profile passengers specifically seek out Sherbet cabs. We work with big brands, providing taxis for events and PR stunts as well as for private fares. To find out more about how you can become an elite Sherbet driver, email: info@sherbetlondon.com now